There was no heavy machine-gun action like the last time but Goa walked away with a 2-1 victory over Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League at the Nehru Stadium here on Sunday.
Spaniard Ferran Corominas, the league’s top scorer this season, gave Goa the lead in the seventh minute while Blasters’ C.K. Vineeth levelled the scores in the 29th. Another Spaniard Eduardo Bedia gave visitor the match-winner in the 77th.
FC Goa, which had won the away encounter 5-2 last month, appeared confident as they advanced through the left, working up little triangles near the box, through midfielder Manuel Lazarote, left winger Mandar Desai and striker Corominas, to trouble the Blasters’ defence.
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One such move gave Goa the lead with Corominas, the ISL’s top scorer, sending the ball home through a crowded defence after getting a cross from the left (Mandar) in the seventh minute.
At the other end, a few minutes after Blasters’ Siam Hangal had hit the crosspiece, Vineeth moved into the box after taking a high ball from Hangal with Iain Hume virtually tailing him. The two Blasters forwards were close together and that kept the Goa defenders guessing their next move. Suddenly, Vineeth – who missed the away encounter last month with a red card – broke away to the right and sent the ball into the right corner to level the scores in the 29th minute.
The goal made the home side confident, while the Goa defence appeared shaky. Vineeth appeared good to add to his tally after Hume fed him with a through ball, in the 59 minute, but as he moved in for the kill, he fell inside the box and it looked like he was brought down by a defender. There were loud shouts for a penalty but the referee waved for the action to continue.
Goa regained the lead in the 77th minute and it came off a corner with Eduardo Bedia heading home the swirling kick.
With the lead in its bag, Goa appeared hungry for more and Corominas, with his sudden bursts, looked very dangerous and it took two strong men, captain Sandesh Jhingan and Wes Brown, to handle him.
The three points kept Goa on the fourth spot with 19 points, while the Blasters slipped to seventh with 14.
The result: FC Goa 2 (Ferran Corominas 7, Eduardo Bedia 77) bt Kerala Blasters 1 (C.K. Vineeth 29).
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